Rashford in middle of Barcelona row after Lamine Yamal accusations fired

Barcelona manager Flick has dismissed claims that Rashford faced stricter consequences than Lamine Yamal regarding disciplinary matters.

Coverage from Spanish outlets alleged that the club’s leadership had ‘forced’ Flick to include Yamal in the Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month, even though the youngster was late to a team meeting.

In contrast, Rashford was named among the substitutes for September’s La Liga fixture against Getafe following a similar violation.

Critics argued that the response to Yamal’s conduct reflected ‘double standards’.

Flick, however, firmly rejected those claims and emphasized that he maintains full authority over discipline within the squad.

“I’d like to know where you’re getting that rumour from,” he retorted.

“It’s b*******. It’s not true. At this club, with Deco and the rest of the professionals, I have a real relationship. I believe in my work. I have their trust, and they wouldn’t ask us for it. It’s rubbish. Whoever said it lied.”

Rashford has impressed since joining the Catalan club on a season-long loan from Manchester United.

The 27-year-old forward has netted three times and assisted five goals across his first 10 matches, earning a recall to the Three Lions squad.

Although he faced criticism from the Spanish media for arriving late last month, Barcelona’s sporting director Deco has stated that the club is satisfied with his progress.

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, the former Barcelona star said: “He’s on a simple loan, there’s no penalty, and if we want him, we have an option to buy.”

“It’s too early to talk about decisions for next season, but what matters is that we’re happy with him. What we thought he could bring to us, he’s bringing.

“He’s a very high-level player – who exploded very early – then he had great seasons at United, then he had years of more complicated management with changes of coaches, and perhaps he struggled too because they demanded a lot of things from him there. But we’re happy with him, that’s the most important thing.

“These aren’t decisions for now. Now it’s time to focus on the games to come. A decision will be made, but that’s not being discussed right now. There’s a contract between the clubs, but it [the future] has to be discussed.”